VOLUME 148 ISSUE 17 | THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2025
CHATHAMNEWSRECORD.COM
PHOTOS BY GENE GALIN FOR CHATHAM NEWS & RECORD
“A republic, if you can keep it” The “No Kings” protest in Pittsboro on Saturday was one of many around the state and the country, criticizing President Donald Trump with creative signs, impassioned speeches and a good number of American flags. Trump, meanwhile, oversaw a parade in Washington, D.C., for the U.S. Army’s 250th birthday — one shared with Flag Day and the president himself. N.C. House Minority Leader Robert Reives (D-Chatham) was one of a number of speakers who worked to inspire the crowd.
Pittsboro commissioners approve BRIEF developmental rezonings, plats this week the
A judge could advance Purdue Pharma’s $7B opioid settlement after all 50 states back it A judge is being asked to clear the way for local governments and individual victims to vote on OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma’s plan to settle thousands of lawsuits over the toll of opioids. The deal would be among the largest in a wave of opioid settlements. It calls for members of the Sackler family, who own the company, to give up ownership and contribute up to $7 billion over time. Of that, about $890 million could go to people who were victims of the drug epidemic or their survivors. Most of the rest is to be used by state and local governments to fight the crisis.
Wake Forest alum named University of Alabama president Tuscaloosa, Ala. Peter J. Mohler has been named the next president of the University of Alabama. Mohler comes to the role from Ohio State University, where he served as executive vice president for research, innovation and knowledge and as chief scientific officer of the university’s Wexner Medical Center. He will assume the role at the University of Alabama on July 21. Mohler has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Wake Forest University and a doctorate in cell and molecular physiology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
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Residential development continues to grow in Chatham County By Ryan Henkel Chatham News & Record PITTSBORO — The Town of Pittsboro Board of Commissioners had a few land-use re-
lated items on the agenda for its June 9 meeting. The board first held a public hearing for a conditional rezoning request of approximately 21 acres of property located on Old Graham Road from Medium-Density Residential (R-12) to Multifamily Residential Conditional District. “The intention following the
rezoning is to create a 98-lot single-family, residential development with a potential for adding duplexes,” said Planning Director Randall Cahoon-Tingle. According to the applicant, the development aims to be an age-targeted community for retirees. In addition, the plans call
Federal court weighs challenge to NC redistricting maps A lawsuit alleges GOP lawmakers illegally weakened black voting power By Gary D. Robertson The Associated Press WINSTON-SALEM — North Carolina congressional and legislative districts drawn by Republicans that helped them re-
tain majorities in Raleigh and Washington are in court, as federal lawsuits accuse mapmakers of illegally eroding black voting power in the process. A three-judge panel convened Monday in Winston-Sa-
lem for a trial over allegations that GOP legislative leaders violated federal law and the U.S. Constitution when they enacted new electoral maps in October 2023. Republican leaders counter that lawfully partisan — and not racial — considerations helped inform their decision-making. The lines were used in the
Justice Department targets voter registration compliance in battleground states “They can request all the data they want, and it’s not going to prove anything.” Jena Griswold, Colorado secretary of state
The DOJ is working to ensure states comply with election laws By Christina A. Cassidy and Scott Bauer The Associated Press ATLANTA — In North Carolina, it was a lawsuit over the state’s voter registration records. In Arizona and Wisconsin, it was a letter to state election officials warning of potential administrative violations. And in Colorado, it was a demand for election records going back to 2020. The actions by the U.S. De-
partment of Justice’s voting section come amid significant personnel changes in the division, including the departures of career attorneys and decisions to drop various voting rights cases filed under the previous administration. The department’s focus on voter registration compliance and election record-keeping reflects priorities that align with concerns raised by conservative activists following the 2020 election. The targeted states include several presidential battlegrounds and others controlled by Democratic officials. See VOTER, page A3
for the construction of a public greenway along the eastern border of the property. The board also held a public hearing for a rezoning request for nearly 30 acres of property located on Hillsboro Street from Highway Commercial and R-12 to a Mixed See PITTSBORO, page A7
2024 elections, after which Republicans kept General Assembly majorities and flipped three U.S. House seats held by Democratic incumbents who didn’t seek reelection because they decided the recast district made winning impossible. Those seat flips, which turned a 7-7 delegation into one with a 10-4 Republican advantage, helped the GOP keep narrow control of the House, which has helped advance President Donald Trump’s agenda. Favorable rulings for the plaintiffs could force RepubliSee MAPS, page A7